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Help me brainstorm the Perfect Getaway (Tiny House experience)

Nina Surya

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posted 3 months ago

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What if...
...you'd want to get away for some time and looked for renting a Tiny House - the size of it being perfect for a solitary stay or for a couple who like to sleep in one bed.
Your vacation/retreat/stay would be for a week, a month or longer.

What would your PERFECT getaway look like?

The Tiny House is a former camper car and has a roofed terrace and a bathroom built as extensions to it.

It stands in it's private space on our land, at the end of a path, with its 'back' against a shed which shields it away from our house (and the world), looking out to it's own dedicated piece of the orchard, with pastures behind the orchard. Chicken and currently two sheep roam around.
We're deep in the countryside, so there are no streetlights at night, making the place perfect for stargazing.

At the moment my 18-year old son is living in the Tiny. He'll be leaving for university at some point before September.
We're brainstorming what a potential tiny house dweller would like to have and experience in his/her immediate living space and in the surroundings.
Would you like to help us brainstorm?

Close your eyes, dream up your Perfect Getaway experience and share it with us, please!

* Follow your curiosity , Do what you Love *
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Josh Hoffman

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Location: Louisville, MS. Zone 8a

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posted 3 months ago

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Maybe you share a few pics of your current setup?

We are currently living our dream vacation every day but, when we RV travelled full time, we encountered a lot of these type of situations. Tiny houses or RVs that were for rent short term for one night up to a couple weeks. They had similar things that made them inviting and seemed to keep them rented out.

A deck out front
A fire ring
Some outside sitting/table, could be a picnic table
Those nice LED light strings around the outdoor areas
A CLAM or some screened area to reduce bugs when needed, could be part of the deck
A grill
Cheesy vacation decorations

It seemed most people that would rent those would be spending a lot of time outside, which I guess is not normal for them.

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Trace Oswald

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posted 3 months ago

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Perfect getaway? That's an easy one for me: Stone cabin in the words Built by a Permies member too!

If you are talking about a nice place I would stay but not perfect? My criteria is pretty simple:

Clean
Dry
Warm in winter, cool in summer
A really beautiful setting

That's really all I need. I want a comfortable place to sleep in a beautiful setting, preferably with nice walking trails, maybe animals, maybe water, especially a small creek where I can look for fish, frogs, dragon flies, cool rocks, turtles. No noise except for nature sounds. I want to have my dog there. That's it.

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Anne Miller

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Most tiny houses that I have seen on the internet would be a perfect getaway.

These are clean, new, have a nice kitchen with fridge, cooktop, oven and coffeemaker, and a nice bathroom. A/c and heat are a must.

Yes, an nice outdoor grill.

Location is a must with great views and not too far away.

No nosy, noisy neighbors ...

I am not ready to stay in a camper van though our daughter has a AirBnB and she is adding a camper experience for those that want to try it out.

You might market your that way.

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Jay Angler

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I admit I'm an outlier - but many permies are.

I would want a functional, decently lit kitchen. If it's propane, please splurge on a fan that isn't so obnoxious people risk not running it.

As an older person, I would go for outdoor table and chairs rather than a picnic table because they're easier to get in and out of safely. Similarly, I would make sure steps had some sort of railing, and the toilet a grab bar.

Personally, I could totally skip the cheesy vacation decorations in favour of natural, nature based decorations - old bird nest on a shelf as an example?

It does partly depend on your target audience. If you want people who will appreciate the nature around them, I would cater to that. If you want a bunch of party people, that's your choice!

If you go for any sort of lighting, I would make sure the people could turn it off for that perfect stargazing experience. Since I'm assuming you'd be booking people, just tell them to make sure they bring a flashlight - most people have a light in the cell-phones, but I find they don't work as well as a simple pocket light.

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Nina Surya

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Posts: 314

Location: in the Middle Earth of France (18), zone 8a-8b

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posted 3 months ago

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Thank you!

Josh; I love the idea of a fire ring - we can make it happen, definately.
Trace; That stone cabin IS a magical place! So beautifully made.
Anne; I think our Tiny is a bit more basic (no oven or coffeemachine at the moment), but those are great suggestions to add to the list of improvements in the future.
Jay; Great suggestions, thank you!

Here are some photos of the situation from last summer when we were transforming the camper into a Tiny House. The current situation isn't photographed for obvious privacy reasons

There is a kitchenette, internet comes to the Tiny via the electricy cable -> ethernet. The bathroom currently has a compost toilet and a washing table, but we're contemplating to make a shower cabin in there as well.

We tried the LED fairylights along the path to the Tiny, but it was so unnatural in the otherwise total darkness that we took them down the next day.

The roof above the terrace has been changed from tiles to roof plates, alternating between transparent and steel for light and lightness.
The sheep have their own shelter now and are not anymore camping under the terrace (and the ram has moved house).

camper.jpeg

TinyInTheMaking.jpeg

TinyHouse.jpeg

Tiny2.jpeg

* Follow your curiosity , Do what you Love *
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Josh Hoffman

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Location: Louisville, MS. Zone 8a

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Nice, that looks like a fun project.

I really like the different sets of preferences and observations you are getting in the replies.

Sounds like you'll have to decide on some of these things and see if that brings the type people and frequency that you'd like to have. You can always adjust later as you get feedback from the folks that stay.

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Cole Tyler

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Location: KY

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A friend of mine has been doing this well with several tinys on her 15 acre property. Fruitdale Farm in Bainbridge Ohio, theres a website with pics for inspiration.

Major things like building a good sized swimming pond, garden/microfarm op, excellent hiking/biking trails and ecosystem management, round out the tiny house experience so I think atmosphere is equally important as the house. Simplicity, privacy, hammocks and picnic tables just off a little wood deck/porch makes it nice!

Josh Hoffman

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Location: Louisville, MS. Zone 8a

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Josh Hoffman wrote:
Those nice LED light strings around the outdoor areas

I put a picture below of the lights I am talking about. This is looking out the back of our place. We have them on a dusk to dawn sensor. We find they light the area up enough to get around safely but do not put out so much light pollution that you can't enjoy the night sky especially if you go on the other side of them. That is where we typically watch the chicken channel early in the morning or later in the evening.

You want something around 2000K on the Kelvin scale. It will be a very soft amber to almost red light if you get low enough. This picture does not do justice because of the glare of my older phone camera but gives the idea and color.

Lights-in-back.jpg

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Nina Surya

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Location: in the Middle Earth of France (18), zone 8a-8b

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Thanks again everyone for the feedback!

I should add that as a target audience we're looking at nature-lovers, people who like the quiet(er) life, spiritual seekers and permaculture enthousiasts.

There's a lot of privacy for the guest(s) to enjoy, since the Tiny is the only guesthouse around and our direct neighbors are visiting their vacation home 2-3 times a year, and on the other side there are cows.

I'm really looking for the personal wish lists. We're looking forward to creating something very special for the visitors to enjoy, not luxurious but personal!

* Follow your curiosity , Do what you Love *
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Emmett Ray

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If I was looking for this kind of getaway, I'd want the following:

1. In nature. Lots of trees. The possibility of seeing wildlife would be a bonus.
2. Complete peace and quiet. I don't want to see or hear anyone else. When I look up at the night sky, I want to see the stars and hear the night sounds. A porch light is all I would want. I don't need the yard lights because I wouldn't be there to party or have others stop by. It is, after all, a tiny house. By default, they're not a place you'd go to party.
3. A wood burner inside and a fire pit with a couple of chairs outside.
4. Enough counter space in the kitchen to easily prep a good meal. It doesn't have to be a full, spacious kitchen at all. Just enough room to prepare a meal so it's not cramped.

I'd be content with everything else the way I found it when I got there.

Thank you in advance to everyone for their replies, help, and suggestions! Forgive me if I miss any replies, I'm still learning how to keep up with threads I participate in!

Riona Abhainn

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Location: Clackamas Oregon, USA zone 8b

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posted 3 months ago

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Perhaps some sweet extras like a bit of farm produce they can eat while there, etc. That way they have a rustic nature farm experience and taste it too.

I do Celtic, fantasy, folk and shanty singing at Renaissance faires, fantasy festivals, pirate campouts, and other events in OR and WA, USA.
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Emmett Ray

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Riona Abhainn wrote:Perhaps some sweet extras like a bit of farm produce they can eat while there, etc. That way they have a rustic nature farm experience and taste it too.

I would definitely take this advice. Doing something specific like this (whatever it is you chose to do) as a welcome gift would set you apart from most other available rentals folks have to choose from. It becomes a memory that folks would remember about their stay. And when that person's friends/family asked them how their vacation was, it's likely they'd mention it, which then becomes a word-of-mouth selling point for others.

"I had a good time, actually. I'm glad I went. When I got there, they left us a S'mores gift bag with hot chocolate so we could make S'mores and have cocoa around the fire pit."

Thank you in advance to everyone for their replies, help, and suggestions! Forgive me if I miss any replies, I'm still learning how to keep up with threads I participate in!

Dian Green

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I would start thinking about making a calendar of things to do, events in the area or experiences you could offer/include.
Are you willing to offer a day of grafting class in the spring? What about fruit picking and processing in the fall? A day/afternoon showing how to bake with your items? Tours of your permaculture farm with hands on instructors? Animal care intro? Any local fairs or events?
You can upcharge for these things but it can help people thinking of coming out to plan if they can see some options.
If there are any local fairs, artist events or gatherings, it might be worth reaching out to the organizers since many get requests for help finding accommodations.

All true wealth is biological.
Lois McMaster Bujold

Nina Surya

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Posts: 314

Location: in the Middle Earth of France (18), zone 8a-8b

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Great feedback again, I'm so glad I asked the Permies community!!

Emmet, points 1&2: the natural, quiet setting is covered, complete with starry skies.
Point 3: You're right, living fire to keep the Tiny House dweller warm inside and outdoors is the best - flame gazing is extremely good for letting thoughts settle naturally.
Point 4 is also covered. We LOVE to cook, so the kitchenette is functional!

Riona, YES, an excellent idea!! We now bake our own bread and make our own cheese, jam, eggs, herbs and in the summer fresh vegetables would be available. Great tip!

Dian, thank you for your helpful input! I had thought about mentioning what there is to experience and explore in the surroundings, but your post takes it to a much more rich and structured level - I love this!

Thank you all!

* Follow your curiosity , Do what you Love *
Permaculture page on Simperi website | Antique and vintage finds TreasureChestTales

Jr. Gibson

Posts: 63

Location: Lake Cumberland

posted 2 months ago

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Nina Surya wrote:What if...
...you'd want to get away for some time and looked for renting a Tiny House - the size of it being perfect for a solitary stay or for a couple who like to sleep in one bed.
Your vacation/retreat/stay would be for a week, a month or longer.

What would your PERFECT getaway look like?

The Tiny House is a former camper car and has a roofed terrace and a bathroom built as extensions to it.

It stands in it's private space on our land, at the end of a path, with its 'back' against a shed which shields it away from our house (and the world), looking out to it's own dedicated piece of the orchard, with pastures behind the orchard. Chicken and currently two sheep roam around.
We're deep in the countryside, so there are no streetlights at night, making the place perfect for stargazing.

At the moment my 18-year old son is living in the Tiny. He'll be leaving for university at some point before September.
We're brainstorming what a potential tiny house dweller would like to have and experience in his/her immediate living space and in the surroundings.
Would you like to help us brainstorm?

Close your eyes, dream up your Perfect Getaway experience and share it with us, please!

TinyA-frameCabin-05.jpg

received_7668888319812466.jpeg

TinyA-frameCabin-04.jpg

Jr. Gibson

Posts: 63

Location: Lake Cumberland

posted 2 months ago

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I haven't been on here in awhile ,kind of gave up trying to find a tiny home partner . I have a lot of skills to offer and friendship, advise , wisdom.

Jr. and Seige

Would you turn that thing down? I'm controlling a mind here! Look ... look at the tiny ad ...

Christian Community Building Regenerative Village Seeking Members

https://permies.com/t/268531/Christian-Community-Building-Regenerative-Village